Friday, 5 September 2008

I'm in India Now

I have just arrived in the proper country of India. I arrived here in an absolute death cab, even by Indian standards, which tore through 2 hours of winding roads uphill through thick jungle, from the nearest town- Dehra Dun. And then in the middle of nowhere we drew up to this Himalayan palace, complete with a fully decorated Bhuddist temple.
The pace of life here is almost at a halt. The monks are really great boys, all of them. Smile at them and they'l smile back in the nicest, most genuine way. There is tea 6 times a day, including butter tea (literally just butter and tea). Right now there are 4 days of "holy days" during which they claim to be "partying". They are playing badminton and basketball most of the day, and are having extra helpings of food and tea. Life really is that simple up here. It makes for very easy living.
The abbot (head monk) is not like I expected- an elderly, wise man with a beard, but a young, quite chunky, strong man. He has magical powers of teleportation and the ability to milk a moving yak. He does not speak English however, so Mr Tseng Tashi shows me around, and is very accomodating.
Round about the monastery are lots of simple (not primitive, primitive implies aspirations of progress) houses and a small shop which sells crisps and juice, and has about 5 men who are there playing a board game all day, every day.
I am seated in a small cyber-hut with a sort of Carribean feel. The internet is awful but the man is giving me free fruit.

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